Military

Senator Kirk and Congressman Schock Help Veterans Find Jobs, Navigate Disability Claim Process


PEORIA–(ENEWSPF)–August 14, 2013.  U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and U.S. Representative Aaron Schock today hosted the Central Illinois Veterans Employment and Resources Fair at Bradley University in Peoria to give veterans the opportunity to meet with private sector and government employers, participate in workshops and speak with Veterans Affairs (VA) representatives about filing disability claims.

“Today we took a step toward returning the favor by giving back to the veterans who gave so much of their lives to our country,” Sen. Kirk said. “This fair is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our nation’s heroes. I am honored to be able to help vets reintegrate into the workplace and improve their lives as civilians.”

“Today, we had over 130 vendors from around the state on hand as well as workshops to provide veterans in Central Illinois a one-stop shop experience whether it was searching for a job, working with the VA to discuss claims and pension issues or opportunities to meet with non-profits who specialize in providing services to assist veterans and their families. We are grateful veterans throughout Central Illinois turned out to take advantage of this opportunity,” Rep. Schock said.

In Illinois, 51,965 veterans were unemployed last year, and unemployment is one of the biggest problems currently facing America’s veterans. Sen. Kirk is committed to reducing veteran unemployment. Sen. Kirk is the co-chair of the Congressional Veterans Jobs Caucus, a group that works to decrease the unemployment rate of the nation’s hundreds of thousands of veterans who are currently looking for work.

Veterans Affairs representatives gave guidance to fair attendees on the disability claims process. The national average wait time is 337 days, and more than 500,000 veterans nationwide are still stuck in the claims backlog. At 552 days, the VA Chicago Regional Office – which processes claims for all Illinois veterans – has the fourth worst backlog in the country. About 75 percent of Chicago RO claims have been pending for more than 125 days. Carl Horton, a Vietnam veteran living in Illinois, has been waiting on a claim filed with the Chicago Regional Office in August 2011.

“It is unacceptable that the men and women who have risked their lives for our freedom are made to wait more than 550 days before receiving basic services when they return home,” Sen. Kirk said. “We must do everything in our power to reduce the claims processing time, so that heroes like Carl Horton can receive the care and benefits that they have earned.”

Sen. Kirk has partnered with Sen. Tim Johnson (D-SD) to develop a bipartisan 10 point claims processing plan that will to reduce claim wait times for all veterans. As Ranking Member on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, Sen. Kirk voted to approve $63.4 billion for the VA, of which more than $2.5 billion will help reduce the claims backlog in Illinois and across the nation.

Source: kirk.senate.gov

 


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